The Hypocrites Shall Be Amazed

Matthew 22:15-22

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

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On the surface, this is a story of people trying to trick Jesus by asking him a question that seems to have only two answers, either of which will get Jesus in trouble. But Jesus answers in a way that sidesteps the trap. You don’t have to know anything else about scripture or theology and this story will still teach you the lesson that there is always a more gracious and true way to live--in which you break free from the false dichotomy of either/or, black/white, right/wrong. In a world that seems focused on either/or; the way of Christ is predominately both/and.

That’s an important point; but watch what happens when you bring an awareness of other scriptural and historical truths into this story. Recall the first of the Ten Commandments, as found in Exodus 20:4-6:

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

For the Hebrew people, there was no god except for the Lord, and every visual depiction of the Lord was forbidden. No idols, no graven images...no exceptions. 

Also know this: a denarius was a Roman coin. Rome, of course, was the occupying and oppressive cultural, political, and military empire in the region at the time. As with American currency, the denarius included an image of an important political leader; in this case, Emperor Tiberius. And, as with American currency, there was an inscription on the coin. Each denarius was inscribed with the phrase, “Tiberius, son of the divine Augustus” (or, in other words “Tiberius, the Son of God”). 

With those two points in mind, let’s revisit the story. The Pharisees and Herodians are trying to trick Jesus by asking him a question that seems to have only two answers, either of which will get Jesus in trouble. Just when they think they have him cornered, Jesus asks them to show him the coin used to pay the tax to Caesar. The second that the coin emerges from the purse the Pharisees and Herodians are exposed as hypocrites and blasphemers. 

The effect is the same as the climactic scene of your favorite law drama where the truth finally comes out and everyone gasps in astonishment. So, let’s try it again, this time gasp in astonishment at the end of the next sentence: The second that the coin emerges from the purse the Pharisees and Herodians are exposed as hypocrites and blasphemers.

Why is that gasp-worthy? Here they are in the holy temple caught with the very definition of idolatry–a coin with a graven image of someone other than the Lord claiming to be God. Every Hebrew knew it was blasphemous to have such a coin in the holy temple (which is why there were money changers in the temple). Jesus doesn’t even have to answer their question at this point because the Pharisees’ and Herodians’ credibility has been destroyed. And yet, Jesus does answer, essentially saying, “Give that sacrilegious worthless coin to the sacrilegious worthless leader who occupies and oppresses us; and give everything else to the one and only real God--the Lord.”

The text says the Pharisees and Herodians walked away amazed; but feel free to come up with a better word to describe their emotions in the moment. I imagine it wasn’t so much that they were amazed, as it was they were embarrassed, ashamed, exposed, and humbled. 

Hypocrisy is one of the worst characteristics anyone, especially a leader, can demonstrate, and yet there is no consistent punishment for hypocrisy. You can’t be arrested for being a hypocrite. And if you find enough people who agree with you, you can all be hypocrites together and never have to deal with the consequences. Hypocrites change the rules of the game to suit their own needs and get away with it as long as, in their mind, the ends justify the means. And when power is concerned, hypocrites are confident that the ends always justify the means. 

The good news of this biblical lesson is that Jesus demonstrates that the Lord God is equipped to humble and weaken those who employ hypocrisy in order to cling to worldly power. The way of Jesus Christ cuts through hypocrisy and exposes its weakness. True power comes from God and from being a disciple of Christ. Tiberius can have his coins; but God gets everything else: everything that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable (Phil. 4:8). 

The good news, my Christian brothers and sisters, is that we do not belong to Caesar, but rather, we belong to God. We are not created in Caesar’s image, we are created in God’s image.

The good news is that the hypocrisy of worldly leaders (as well as our own hypocrisy) is always exposed when subjected to the light of Christ. Anyone who amasses worldly power by changing the rules of the game and justifies it by claiming the ends justify the means will walk away amazed/humbled/defeated by Christ. 

Jesus invites us engage in the regular practice of prayerful introspection and evaluation in order to see if we’re carrying around any graven images--that is, anything in our purse, or bank account, or social media feed perhaps, that proves we are pledge allegiance to something or someone other than God alone. 

Once we identify these graven images (and we all absolutely have them) we can humbly and confidently come before the Lord in confession. And having identified and confessed our graven image, we receive the forgiveness, freedom, and true power to walk in the light of Christ and make a positive difference in the world. Hear the good news and be the good news.

Amen.

God Isn't Fair

I plan to do something different with today’s gospel lesson, so allow me to preface with a few words before we explore that story.  

A few weeks ago I turned in my final project for the two-year continuing education program that recently wrapped up. It was an ebook of a dozen of my sermons from the last two years that address the topic of discipleship. I sent the document to several friends and colleagues to review it, and one comment I received back from a friend rattled me. This comment was regarding the sermon I preached in May in which I introduced you to our puppy, Obi. That sermon was about how God is at work ensuring that the world is a perfectly safe place for us to be, much like pet owners should ensure their pets are living in a safe environment. 

In that sermon I made a passing mention of God being fair. My friend highlighted this and wrote “God never claims to be fair; God isn’t fair.” I was taken aback by that comment. It seemed harsh and out of left field. Of course God is fair. Isn’t that one of the things that makes God worthy of worship and worth following? God is good. God is love. God is grace. God is fair. Her comment bothered me, but as I thought more about it I realized she’s absolutely right. God never claims to be fair; God isn’t fair.

Fairness is one of those words that sounds important but actually lacks substance. It’s flimsy. This word is usually employed to mean something is equal; as in, someone does something and receives something, while someone else does the same thing and receives the same thing; that’s fair. 

If you have spent any time around kids you know that fairness is a big deal. My boys keep close tabs on each other when it comes to things like video game time and desserts consumed. If one receives something that the other doesn’t, we hear, “That’s not fair!” 

Fairness is hard-wired not just in humans but in animals as well. If you really dig back into your memory banks you might recall that I preached on this parable three years ago and showed a clip of two capuchin monkeys. The monkeys received bits of cucumber as a reward for completing the same task. However, one monkey started receiving bits of grape as a reward for the task while the other continued to be given cucumber. Once the cucumber monkey noticed the discrepancy, it started throwing the cucumber bits back at the scientist in protest. That’s not fair!

But, as we’ve heard throughout our lives, life isn’t fair. We don’t all receive the same things. Health, opportunities for education or employment, income, the number of days to live, the amount of love shown to you, the way you experience the world, the way people treat you...these vary widely from one person to another. 

God never claims to be fair; God isn’t fair. But that’s not my message to you this morning. I want us to think about how we are to live in this world that is unfair, using our unfair God as an example. 

It’s now time for today’s gospel -- a parable Jesus employs to teach his followers about the nature of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. As I tell this story, please use your imagination to fill in the details of the story. Add colors, fabric, smells, sounds, facial features; and most importantly, notice which character you identify with. 

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. 

“When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” 

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:1-16) 

What character are you in that story? 

Are you the laborer who worked all day, received the daily wage, and looked with disdain on those who worked for an hour and received the same wage?

Are you the laborer who waited all day for someone to come around and hire you, and were grateful to see the vineyard owner, who had passed you by several times already, return to not only give you a task but pay you what you needed so that you could provide for your family for one more day?

Are you the vineyard owner who is tasked with hiring and managing workers, giving a day’s wage to everyone who picked the grapes? Someone whose generosity is offensive to people who are concerned about what is fair or not?

What is it about that character that you identify with? Are you thinking of a relationship dynamic within your family? Within your workplace? Within your nation?

We’ll explore this story one more time and this time I want you to put yourself in the shoes of a different character. Again, use the power of your imagination to paint the rest of the picture and bring the story to life. 

(read story again)

This is not a story of fairness; it is a story of grace. Fairness and grace have absolutely nothing to do with each other. 

God does not call us to spend time and effort worrying less about the unfairness of a God that blesses the people we think don’t deserve to be blessed. Instead of being scorekeepers, God calls us to be grace-givers.

Brennan Manning writes, 

“Jesus reveals a God 
who does not demand but who gives; 
who does not oppress but who raises up; 
who does not wound but heals; 
who does not condemn but forgives.” 

May we all take the time in our lives to really meditate on God’s offensive and wonderful generosity. And may that offensive and wonderful generosity fundamentally change our every thought and action so that all may have enough.

Amen.